1. Select the Appropriate Social Channels

Do not waste energy and efforts targeting everyone, as you will end up creating confusion. To set up your strategy, you just have to answer two simple questions:

1. What is the niche of your website?

2. How much time do you have during the day to devote to promotion?

Now, take notes and let's review your answers!

If your website falls within the field of visual arts, performing or events, then you have to include at least one profile on social media visual (Instagram and Pinterest, for example). If you work in the internet marketing and online business field, however, Twitter and Facebook work great!

If you have only between 30 minutes and an hour available each day, do not worry: limit yourself to just one social network and focus your energies on it. But if you can devote to the promotion of your website more than two hours a day, you're lucky! Remember: you need to choose. My advice is not to open more than 3 social network accounts simultaneously; even if this is your only commitment of the day.

2. Plan Your Moves

Never start the promotion of your website without knowing what your goals are and how to achieve them.

You need a strategy to determine how to behave on social media and adjust the shot when you realize that something is wrong. Even if you're not an expert, you can use a social media managing tool like Oktopost, which helps you organize your content and measure the results of your marketing efforts.

3. Talk, Listen, Engage

These are the three things to do after opening the accounts on each social network you choose. Neglecting even one of these actions greatly reduces your chances of success.

So, remember to show who you are and share only useful content with your audience. But do not stop here!

Remember to dedicate time to nurture relationships with your followers, stimulating them. Talk, ask questions, and interact. And, above all, listen to what they have to say.

Both in the case of positive comments or critics, pay due attention to the feedbacks you receive and use them to improve your social media marketing strategy.

The Major Social Networks: Suggestions of Use

Now, I would like to give some advice for using the major social networks. You do not have to follow every single rule. Although, I am sure these suggestions will stimulate your creativity, helping you to better define your style of communication.

Youtube

YouTube is a very strong social media channel, but it's also a powerful search engine, second just to Google.

Think about how recording videos could benefit your online visibility. You can use an emotional approach: speak of your achievements, of your projects, of the enthusiasm you invest on your website. In short, let people know about your business.

Use screenshots and images to build mini-video clips. Think about solutions to the problems of your audience, for example creating some guides, or tutorials.

Also, you may want to organize video interviews to be shared on your YouTube channel. Showing your face brings you closer to potential clients and creates an emotional bond with them that goes beyond the monitor.

Another idea - if you have enough time available - is to involve key people in your industry. You can organize debates or events. Influencers could bring you a lot of visibility online.

Facebook

Facebook is the stronger social network in many countries around the world. That is why using it to promote your website is a crucial part of an effective social marketing strategy. I have some advice that's right for you.

First, create a Facebook page dedicated to your website. Optimize your profile using high-resolution images, which represent your business and make it recognizable. In the description of your page, remember to enter the link to your website.

Care about the stuff you share. Use catchy multimedia (images, music and video) that are able to convey the essence of your message.

Do not be too self-referential. In addition to posting content about your website, also care to share news and articles related to your niche. This allows you to entertain your fans, offering useful and stimulating content.

Establish a frequency of publication and respect it! You should not exceed: post at most twice a day and only if you have really something to say.

Remember to interact. Do not just limit to posting: you must make sure that your followers have an interest in returning to your page. For this, it is advisable to stimulate interaction involving users through explicit questions.

Celebrate the important goals of your social media marketing plan. When you reach a certain number of fans, for example, thank those who supported you and, most of all, be grateful for your audience.

You can even think about setting a budget to promote your content via Facebook ads. They are much cheaper than Google Adwords and you can reach a targeted audience, by selecting age, gender, interests and geographical area of your campaign.

Twitter

Twitter is another popular social media you need to use.

First, create a profile. Add the proper images and description. Don't forget to include a link to your website.

Build your network of contacts. Be sure to follow users potentially interested to your business and interact with them.

To help you in this matter, you can use the search tool of Twitter.

Select the content to be shared. Do not talk only about your business, but also share relevant and interesting news in your industry. Select a group of trusted sites to follow and connect with them. Now, dedicate several moments throughout the day for sharing posts.

The frequency of the publication is essential. The timeline of Twitter is updated in real time, so do not overdo. Decide in advance what to publish, and avoid posting more than 10 tweets a day. ViralContentBuzz is an awesome content curation tool that helps you managing your tweets and boosting your social media marketing campaign, by promoting your business via the influencers in your niche.

Be sure to response to interactions: this must be part of your strategy!

Use hashtags to identify the content you share. Create a unique hashtag related to your business or website and use it always when you post your promotional tweets.

After the latest Twitter updates, images and videos have become very important on this social medium. Make the most out of them, creating images, graphics and evocative mini-clips to embed in your tweets.

Create your network of contacts. Use related hashtags to your area of ​​reference to select the profiles to follow. To get them following you back, take some time to leave a meaningful comment on their posts.

Be consistent. Remember to publish at least one picture per day. It is important that you have something to say through the images. If not, do not bother yourself opening an account!

Use a correct description for your business. Do not just use the hashtags to describe your images. Be evocative and focus on emotions. To do that, you can use your famous words or quotes.

Now optimize it. As already mentioned for the other social channels, write an effective description and add links to your Twitter and Facebook profiles. Do not forget to also add the one to your website.

Create a strategic board. Pinterest lets you collect images and organize them as photo albums. Use this feature to catalog your pins, connecting them to your business.

Focus on the words you use. Always write a catchy description.

Care about the images you share. Make them interesting.

Building a network of contacts on Pinterest is not simple. To succeed you have to fascinate the users, relying on content that can communicate an original and engaging message.

Using social networks to promote your business is really important!

I hope this post helped you understand the power of these channels and get a head start in social media marketing.